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Weighing only 1 kg or so and 40–45 cm in length, little penguins are also distinguished by the blueish plumage on their upper parts, which accounts for their alternative names. The back plumage can be pale blue to a dark grey-blue depending upon age, season or subspecies. When on land they distinctly lean forwards, in contrast to the more upright stance of other penguins. They’re also largely nocturnal, coming ashore after sunset.
The little penguin closely resembles juveniles of the genus Spheniscus but their geographic ranges do not overlap so they are unlikely to be confused in the wild.

Little penguins are widely distributed in Australia (from Western Australia along the southern coast of Australia up to New South Wales) and in New Zealand (from Northland to Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands). Between different areas they vary considerably in size, the amount of white on the tail and flipper, and the colour tone of the back.
Six subspecies are recognised: novaehollandia in Australia, iredalei in northern New Zealand, variabilis in the Cook Strait region, albosignata on Banks Peninsula and Motunau Island, minor in the lower part of the South Island, and chathamensis at the Chatham Islands. Some have argued that the white-flippered penguin (Eudyptula minor albosignata), found mainly on Banks Peninsula and Motunau Island, is a separate species. It freely interbreeds, however, with other subspecies, and molecular studies demonstrate that it is part of a genetic grouping with three of the other little penguin subspecies. Interestingly, the southernmost subspecies (minor) and the Australian subspecies (novaehollandia) are closer to each other genetically (despite the wide expanse of ocean between them) than they are to the other four subspecies.

In contrast to the other species, Little penguins are nocturnal. That means they generally do not enter the shore before dusk and leave it before dawn. They forage during the day and often will sleep beside the nest at night after they have fed chicks. Little penguins nest in burrows, caves, rock crevices, and sometimes under bushes and trees. Usually nests are clustered to form colonies, but single breeding pairs are not uncommon. At sea Little penguins are often found alone or in small groups of up to ten birds, but sometimes these groups can be much larger. Although foraging trip durations can be highly variable, Little penguins tend to stay close to the coast.